Saturday, July 17, 2010

Yesterday I made this Zucchini Soup with a touch of curry & finished with a dallop of creme fraiche and big homemade parmesan croutons

I love when the days are long, the breeze is warm and the sun shines bright leaving the tips of your shoulders perfectly bronzed and freckled and your cheeks a little rosy. I think this time of the year is the perfect time for cold soup and the perfect time to use an ingredient bursting out of local gardens, zucchini.

I know that curry and zucchini might sounds like an odd combo but the curry just adds a hint of spiciness and I think makes an interesting twist. You could always go the traditional route and just leave it plain possibly with a dash of nutmeg.

Ingredients

2 small white onions

3 cloves of garlic

Few Tbls extra virgin olive oil

2 zucchini

1 teaspoon of Curry

pinch of Sea Salt and pepper

1/4 cup of vermouth

2.5 cups of homemade chicken broth (or 1 bullion cube and a few cups of water)

1/4 cup cream if more richness is desired

dollops of creme fraiche

1 baguette diced into large croutons

Step 1: Dice the onion and garlic.

Step 2: Add the olive oil to a large soup pan and over medium heat add the garlic until it becomes fragrant.

Step 3: Next add the onion and cook for about 5 mins until it becomes soft and translucent.

Step 4: Add the diced zucchini, sea salt, pepper and teaspoon or so of curry. Simmer on med high until you achieve a nice light golden brown on the veggies.

Step 5: Add the sweet vermouth and cook off for a few minutes.

Step 6: Now add the chicken broth and bring to a bowl. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Bowl for about 20-30 mins.

Step 7: While the soup is cooking add the croutons to a hot 400 degree oven. Sprinkle the bread with olive oil, a touch of curry and a sliver of parmesan. Watch carefully and take out after about 7 mins.

Step 8: To finish the soup, take your soup immersion blender and blend the soup until desired consistency (I like pretty smooth for this soup). Add the 1/4 cup of cream if you want a richer soup.

To Finish: Serve in small soup bowls or big mugs for a trendy touch. Add 2 or 3 croutons to each cup followed by a touch of olive oil, a tiny sprinkle of curry and a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge for 20 mins before serving. I plated this with daisy's i picked from the garden. A few bent from their stems so I picked off the loose flowers, filled a little dish with water and had them float. I love this look because it's simple and tranquil looking and creates a relaxed setting.

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About Me

Sydney a SF born ex-pat currently living in France for the past 4 yrs and this is my creative pallet; scrumptious tid bits of food + culture to inspire a splendid + well-lived little life, I help people go on private Champagne producer trips enabling you to meet sm. producers, skip the large corp tours, visit local farms + hang with the locals! Email: tastysidetolifetours@gmail.com